Early the next morning, when Lin Yang arrived at the academy cafeteria, six people were already seated inside.
Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing sat together, forming a lovely sight that drew frequent glances from the three across from them.
On the other side sat Dai Mubai, Tang San, and a little fatty. Judging by his lecherous expression, he was probably the Grass Chicken Phoenix, Ma Hongjun.
"Over here, over here."
The moment he appeared, Xiao Wu spotted him and hurriedly waved him over.
Lin Yang sat beside Xiao Wu. Ning Rongrong, on Xiao Wu's other side, also greeted him with a smile, drawing looks of envy, jealousy, and resentment from the boys opposite them.
A moment later, Dai Mubai rubbed his nose.
"Oscar's sleeping in again. Since pretty much everyone else is here, let's get to know each other."
As he spoke, he slapped Ma Hongjun on the shoulder.
"Let me introduce him. This fatty is our other student, Ma Hongjun. His martial soul is a grass-oh, no, a phoenix."
"Ow, go easy! By the way, Boss Dai, I heard one of the newcomers gave Teacher Zhao quite a hard time yesterday. Who was it?"
Ma Hongjun clutched his shoulder with wildly exaggerated movements and looked at Dai Mubai.
"These two right here. They're something else. Teacher Zhao even used his fifth soul skill."
Dai Mubai pointed at Tang San beside him and Lin Yang across from him.
Ma Hongjun's eyes widened as his gaze wandered between Lin Yang and Tang San.
"That doesn't add up. Neither of you looks like you've reached rank thirty in soul power. How could you give Teacher Zhao a hard time? He's a rank seventy-six Soul Saint. I don't believe it."
"Just luck." Tang San smiled.
Lin Yang continued eating, as though he hadn't heard a thing.
Strength was something you proved through fighting, not talking. There was no need to prove himself to anyone.
Dai Mubai gave a dry cough and began introducing everyone's names and martial souls to Ma Hongjun.
"Sharingan? What kind of martial soul is that?"
Ma Hongjun had perked up his ears when Dai Mubai introduced Lin Yang, but the name of his martial soul still left him momentarily stunned.
"It's a pair of really cool eyes. Red ones."
Two little dimples appeared as Ning Rongrong smiled, as though she were talking about herself.
"Oh? Who was it that got such a fright yesterday?"
Xiao Wu chimed in from the side. Ning Rongrong's face instantly flushed bright red, attracting the boys' attention.
"Oh, Xiao Wu!" Ning Rongrong gave Xiao Wu a reproachful look.
Dai Mubai withdrew his gaze from the two girls and cautiously glanced at Zhu Zhuqing. Seeing no reaction, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Since we'll be living together from now on, there's no need to be so formal with names. Even with you newcomers, there are only eight of us."
He first pointed at himself.
"Fatty and Oscar call me Boss Dai because I'm a little older. You can just call me Mubai."
"You can call Ma Hongjun Fatty. As for Oscar, you can call him Little Oscar or Uncle Big Sausage."
He looked at Tang San.
"Tang San, how about I call you Little San from now on?"
Tang San nodded without objecting.
"Just call me Rongrong. That's what my family and friends call me." Ning Rongrong was the first to raise her little hand.
Xiao Wu's name naturally needed no particular change. Everyone turned toward Lin Yang and Zhu Zhuqing, neither of whom had said a word since coming in.
"Whatever."
Lin Yang finished the plain rice porridge in his bowl and gave that indifferent reply.
Mm. Tasteless, and not good either.
Just as the atmosphere began to fall quiet, Xiao Wu suddenly spoke up to smooth things over.
"Oh, just call him by his name. Or Little Lin, Little Yang-anything like that works."
"Then I'll call you Brother Yang. Is that okay, Brother Yang?"
Ning Rongrong looked at Lin Yang with a cheerful smile.
"...Sure."
Lin Yang stuffed the last egg into his mouth, making his words a little muffled.
Everyone turned to Zhu Zhuqing. Her brows furrowed slightly, but she said nothing.
Ma Hongjun gave Dai Mubai a strange look, its meaning obvious: Aren't you the lady-killer? What's going on here?
Dai Mubai laughed awkwardly.
"It's fine. If she doesn't want to speak, we won't force her."
After that, they chatted for a while, and Dai Mubai talked about the academy rules and such.
A moment later, a clanging sound rang out from outside.
"That's the bell the dean uses to call us together. Let's go."
Dai Mubai led the way outside.
When they reached the training grounds, Oscar was already there, sleepily eating a sausage he had made himself.
"Your beard?"
Tang San walked up to him and pointed at his face.
"Haven't we just gotten a few new beauties? If I don't spruce myself up, how am I supposed to catch their attention?"
Oscar's eyes lit up, and he finished the sausage in a few bites.
"Besides, Boss Dai's face was already enough to draw bees and butterflies. Now we've got Lin Yang too. If I don't make myself more handsome, won't I lose all chance of finding a partner?"
Tang San rubbed his forehead and sighed.
"By the way, how old are you?"
"I'm fourteen. Why? My dad already had me when he was fourteen."
"Uh, nothing."
While the two were talking, a middle-aged man walked over.
The man looked to be in his fifties. His chin protruded slightly, his whole face resembled the sole of a shoe, and he wore square-framed glasses.
"Huh, that man looks so strange," Xiao Wu murmured.
"What do you mean, strange? That's our dean, the founder of Shrek Academy, the Four-Eyed Cat Owl, Flender. He's a rank seventy-eight Soul Saint."
Oscar immediately objected.
"Only rank seventy-eight? Uncle Big Sausage, does our academy have any Soul Douluos?"
"Please call me Oscar the Sausage Specialist. And do you think Soul Douluos are cabbages, growing everywhere?"
"That's good." Xiao Wu breathed a sigh of relief.
"Xiao Wu, what's wrong?" Tang San looked over.
"Nothing. Say, he won't have heard what I just said and make me wear tight shoes for it, will he?" Xiao Wu stuck out her tongue.
"Our Dean Flender is famous for holding grudges. Of course, his greatest virtue is that he looks after his own."
Oscar chuckled.
Flender, who was approaching, happened to turn his gaze toward Oscar just then, and Oscar's heart lurched.
"Oh no, he might've heard me. I'm done for."
Flender stopped in front of them and cleared his throat.
"Very good. We have a few more Little Monsters this year. I, Flender of Shrek Academy, welcome you on behalf of the academy."
The next moment, he changed the subject and looked at Dai Mubai.
"Later, each of you will pay one hundred Gold Soul Coins to Teacher Li in the finance office. Mubai."
"Dean."
Dai Mubai stepped forward, his expression respectful.
"You have a few more juniors now. Tell them the academy's rules later, then go back and rest. Make sure you're in good condition. The first class will be tonight."
As he spoke, Flender looked at Ning Rongrong and Oscar.
"Except Ning Rongrong and Oscar. You two, come with me."
"The rest of you can head back. Remember to get yourselves into peak condition before nightfall. Don't say I didn't warn you."
Tang San did not leave. He was quite curious about how this dean would teach.
Lin Yang did not leave either. Although he knew what would happen next, knowing about something and experiencing it firsthand were two different things.
Besides, he was also quite curious about what kind of training plan this dean would arrange for him.
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